Prospect Info: NHL Draft 2018 - Friday...Friday...

[hbk]

You're justifying something that is not normal in hockey circles. It isn't normal to have the amount of negativity he has managed to accrue. For as much hero worship that goes on here re: professional scouts, suddenly you are willing to look the other way when a guy is likely on various teams' no draft list.

I'd need to know just how bad of a perceived douchbag he is. My call on drafting is based on the team doing the normal background checks and signing off. He does have top 10 talent so if he can overcome the off-ice stuff I'd be in favour of snagging him in the 2nd round. If he doesn't get past the background and we have him on a no draft list then I trust their decision. They are more privy to the information than I am.

 

[rt]

I’ve listened to Cosantino, Custance, McKenzie and Pronman all discuss Merkley’s issues. It’s a tough call. He’s a unique case.

 

[RufusG]

Most teenagers are ********s. I was a ********. I grew up. Maybe he can as well. Sometimes you just need a little humbling.

Getting paid millions of dollars to play a game is probably a lot less conducive to humility that the kinds of things most normal people go through on the journey of life.

 

[hbk]

Getting paid millions of dollars to play a game is probably a lot less conducive to humility that the kinds of things most normal people go through on the journey of life.

Oh yeah. He likely needs an overdue ass kicking. Dropping 30-60 picks in the draft from where u should go is a little humbling.

 

[RufusG]

Oh yeah. He likely needs an overdue ass kicking. Dropping 30-60 picks in the draft from where u should go is a little humbling.

Putting words in my mouth, and theorizing on a data set so tiny it may not even exist, is not a compelling rebuttal.

 

[hbk]

Putting words in my mouth, and theorizing on a data set so tiny it may not even exist, is not a compelling rebuttal.

I wasn’t disputing.

He won’t make millions unless he makes the NHL.

Most young hockey players need attitude adjustments. Most high school hockey players I grew up with were dicks and legitimately needed to be humbled. I’m not shocked that those in actual junior hockey have attitude.

 

[XX]

Most young hockey players need attitude adjustments. Most high school hockey players I grew up with were dicks and legitimately needed to be humbled. I’m not shocked that those in actual junior hockey have attitude.

Again, Merkley is a significant deviation from the norm. He is not like "most" players. Enough of a deviation to draw attention from everyone involved in the draft and to have teams that refuse to draft him.

 

[RufusG]

He won’t make millions unless he makes the NHL.

I agree the harder they make it for him to make the show, the better chance there is the light bulb will go off. But it probably takes that (buried/held in minors) in addition to getting slammed down the draft to make an effective impression.

 

[hbk]

Again, Merkley is a significant deviation from the norm. He is not like "most" players. Enough of a deviation to draw attention from everyone involved in the draft and to have teams that refuse to draft him.

I honestly don’t know what he’s accused of.

 

[TheLegend]

I honestly don’t know what he’s accused of.

In a nutshell..... Anthony DeAngelo 2.0

 

[rt]

In a nutshell..... Anthony DeAngelo 2.0

I don’t think so at all. More like tantrums and pouting than violent rage issues.

 

[XX]

In a nutshell..... Anthony DeAngelo 2.0

All of his issues come in and around the rink. Away from it, he seems like a normal kid. Near it, the reports make him seem like a lazy, petulant child.

I don't want anything to do with him.

 

[rt]

I honestly don’t know what he’s accused of.

Listen to the most recent bob cast. Go to the YouTube video of costantino covering the combine for sports net. Listen to the custance and pronman pods on the Athletic.

 

[rt]

All of his issues come in and around the rink. Away from it, he seems like a normal kid. Near it, the reports make him seem like a lazy, petulant child.

I don't want anything to do with him.

That’s right.

 

[hbk]

Listen to the most recent bob cast. Go to the YouTube video of costantino covering the combine for sports net. Listen to the custance and pronman pods on the Athletic.

I have. I gathered it was a maturity thing which would be correctable.

 

[XX]

I have. I gathered it was a maturity thing which would be correctable.

It's not if it's a core part of who they are. And you have to consider the price. How many people does this kid piss off on his way to blossoming, if ever? And it's not like his game has no holes. He is a literal black hole in his own end.

There are so many good players out there I'd rather have. If the Coyotes had an extra pick or two and wanted to swing for the fences, sure, but that really isn't the case this year.

And that’s where we transition into the massive red flags. Merkley has been a prodigy for much of his lifetime, and he was drafted first overall in the OHL Draft back in 2016. Some scouts believe his success has led to a certain level of arrogance and entitlement. The “character concerns” tag has a wide berth of meanings. Sometimes it’s a total lost cause such as Johnny Manziel. Other times it’s a rigid, humorless curmudgeon complaining about PK Subban daring to be fun and personable. I reached out to an Ontario area scout for a gauge on where Merkley lies.

“He’s just a s***head, and I’m his biggest fan,” the source said.

As previously shown, Merkley often abdicates himself of defensive responsibility. He gets pouty and abrasive on the ice when things don’t go his team’s way, and that carries over off the ice. He does not have any signature moments of blatantly infantile behavior, as Tony DeAngelo does, but on a day-to-day basis Merkley is a bigger headache not just for his coaches, but his peers as well. It got bad enough this past season that Guelph scratched him as a disciplinary measure at time when he was the team’s leading scorer.

“Tony has the maturity of a 15 year old. Ryan has the maturity of a 12 year old. At least teammates could tolerate (DeAngelo),” the source said.

Blueshirt Banter 2018 NHL Draft Rankings - #13 Ryan Merkley

 

[Mosby]

Blames teammates and won't listen to the coach. His two biggest offences.

 

[_Del_]

In the old days some one would literally hold him up against a wall, or beat the attitude out of him if it was still unmanageable.
I don't think that would fly now, unfortunately.

 

[rt]

All of his issues come in and around the rink. Away from it, he seems like a normal kid. Near it, the reports make him seem like a lazy, petulant child.

I don't want anything to do with him.

His billets love him. His teammates like him. His coaching find him extremely challenging. Petulance seems to be the word. Much, much, much more like the problems that plagued Duclair than those of DeAngelo or Steve Downie or a really troubled kid like Beach.

 

[hbk]

It's not if it's a core part of who they are. And you have to consider the price. How many people does this kid piss off on his way to blossoming, if ever? And it's not like his game has no holes. He is a literal black hole in his own end.

There are so many good players out there I'd rather have. If the Coyotes had an extra pick or two and wanted to swing for the fences, sure, but that really isn't the case this year.



Blueshirt Banter 2018 NHL Draft Rankings - #13 Ryan Merkley

Do the homework. Find out if it’s something you can work with. If not don’t draft him. I’m okay with trusting the scouts. They actually get paid for this.

 

[hbk]

In the old days some one would literally hold him up against a wall, or beat the attitude out of him if it was still unmanageable.
I don't think that would fly now, unfortunately.

I believe that is what I was advocating for earlier. Old school.

 

[rt]

I have. I gathered it was a maturity thing which would be correctable.

I misunderstood. I thought you meant you didn’t understand the nature of the problems. I didn’t realize you meant you didn’t understand what made them incorrectable. I’d agree. If he can grow up and become coachable, he’d be a worthy pick. I’d gamble on it. Given what Chayka dealt with during Duclair’s time here, I doubt they’d take Merkley anywhere in the top 62. I would. Don’t think Chayka would.

 

[Heldig]

Do the homework. Find out if it’s something you can work with. If not don’t draft him. I’m okay with trusting the scouts. They actually get paid for this.

I suspect a team with an extra draft pick (St Louis?) will take a flyer on Merkely. He is so good offensively.

 

[RemoAZ]

I misunderstood. I thought you meant you didn’t understand the nature of the problems. I didn’t realize you meant you didn’t understand what made them incorrectable. I’d agree. If he can grow up and become coachable, he’d be a worthy pick. I’d gamble on it. Given what Chayka dealt with during Duclair’s time here, I doubt they’d take Merkley anywhere in the top 62. I would. Don’t think Chayka would.

Did Chayka originally trade for DeAngelo or was that Maloney?

 

[Bonsai Tree]

Let Merkley be some other team's grab bag prize. We need to avoid the big screw up.